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Multicenter Study
. 2015 Dec 15:201:215-9.
doi: 10.1016/j.ijcard.2015.08.081. Epub 2015 Aug 10.

Exercise programs for LVAD supported patients: A snapshot from the ESC affiliated countries

Tuvia Ben Gal  1 , Massimo F Piepoli  2 , Ugo Corrà  3 , Viviane Conraads  4 , Stamatis Adamopoulos  5 , Piergiuseppe Agostoni  6 , Ewa Piotrowicz  7 , Jean-Paul Schmid  8 , Petar M Seferovic  9 , Piotr Ponikowski  10 , Gerasimos Filippatos  11 , Tiny Jaarsma  12 ; Committee on Exercise Physiology & Training of Heart Failure Association and endorsed by Cardiac Rehabilitation Section of European Association for Cardiovascular Rehabilitation and Prevention of ESC
Affiliations
Free article
Multicenter Study

Exercise programs for LVAD supported patients: A snapshot from the ESC affiliated countries

Tuvia Ben Gal et al. Int J Cardiol. .
Free article

Abstract

Background: To contribute to the protocol development of exercise training in LVAD supported patients by reviewing the exercise programs for those patients in the ESC affiliated countries.

Methods: A subset of data from 77 (26 countries) LVAD implanting centers that participated in the Extra-HF survey (170 centers) was analyzed.

Results: Of the 77 LVAD implanting centers, 45 (58%) reported to have a functioning exercise training program (ETP) for LVAD patients. In 21 (47%) of the 45 ETP programs in LVAD implanting centers, patients begin their ETP during their in-hospital post-operative recovery period. Most centers (71%) have an early post-discharge program for their patients, and 24% of the centers offer a long-term maintenance program. The professionals involved in the ETPs are mainly physiotherapists (73%), psychologists, cardiac rehab nurses (22%), or cardiologists specialized in rehabilitation (22%). Not all programs include the treating cardiologist or surgeons. Most of the ETPs (84%) include aerobic endurance training, mostly cycling (73%), or walking (62%) at low intensity intervals. Some programs apply resistance training (47%), respiratory muscle training (55%), or balance training (44%). Reasons for the absence of ETPs are referral of patients to another center (14 centers) and lack of resources (11 centers).

Conclusion: There is a great variance in ETPs in LVAD implanting centers. Not all the implanting centers have an ETP, and those that do have adopted a local protocol. Clear guidance on ETP supplied by LVAD implanting centers to LVAD supported patients and more evidence for optimal modalities are needed.

Keywords: Cardiac rehabilitation; Exercise training; Heart failure; Left ventricular assist device.

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